Five Against the House is a 1955 flick that is really peculiar, on the one hand it wants to be an inarticulate college film, with dumb remarks and idiotic hazing, and on the other, a heist film with touches of noir.
The acting is horrible and the script is no better. The ending, entirely pointless.
Four college chums (played by 30 year olds), after wasting the first hour talking about girls, fights and cigarettes, decide to rob a Nevada casino, the Harold's Club.
It has Brian Keith from the film noir Tight Spot (1955), which was average, and the film noir Nightfall (1957) which was a bit better. In this he just smokes and then goes nuts a few times.
Kim Novak, from the good 1954 film noir Pushover, is hot, but doesn't do much. We don't even see her in a tub or anything.
Kerwin Mathews (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and Jack the Giant Killer (1962)) is annoying, as he doesn't have any heavy gravitas here. He's horrible.
Add Alvy Moore (a comic actor from Green Acres) who is probably an awful choice, as all he does is make stupid comments throughout and you wish he would get run over by a steam train.
William Conrad is wasted as a casino 'money cart pusher' who gets taken in a really stupid way. If you want to know how good William Conrad could be, just take a look at The Killers (1946). He plays a hit man enforcer, along with the equally fantastic Charles McGraw (The Narrow Margin (1952)). The opening to The Killers (1946) is absolutely superb.
For car buffs, you'll probably like the "automated parking garage" (see Bowser, Pigeon Hole and Roto Park systems). That's about it, nothing adds up much in here.
For 1950's heist movies, stick with Armored Car Robbery (1950), The Killing (1956), or Kansas City Confidential (1952).
The acting is horrible and the script is no better. The ending, entirely pointless.
Four college chums (played by 30 year olds), after wasting the first hour talking about girls, fights and cigarettes, decide to rob a Nevada casino, the Harold's Club.
It has Brian Keith from the film noir Tight Spot (1955), which was average, and the film noir Nightfall (1957) which was a bit better. In this he just smokes and then goes nuts a few times.
Kim Novak, from the good 1954 film noir Pushover, is hot, but doesn't do much. We don't even see her in a tub or anything.
Kerwin Mathews (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) and Jack the Giant Killer (1962)) is annoying, as he doesn't have any heavy gravitas here. He's horrible.
Add Alvy Moore (a comic actor from Green Acres) who is probably an awful choice, as all he does is make stupid comments throughout and you wish he would get run over by a steam train.
William Conrad is wasted as a casino 'money cart pusher' who gets taken in a really stupid way. If you want to know how good William Conrad could be, just take a look at The Killers (1946). He plays a hit man enforcer, along with the equally fantastic Charles McGraw (The Narrow Margin (1952)). The opening to The Killers (1946) is absolutely superb.
For car buffs, you'll probably like the "automated parking garage" (see Bowser, Pigeon Hole and Roto Park systems). That's about it, nothing adds up much in here.
For 1950's heist movies, stick with Armored Car Robbery (1950), The Killing (1956), or Kansas City Confidential (1952).